DRC/ICC: Katanga found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity

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March 7, 2014

DRC/ICC: Katanga found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity

The International Criminal Court has convicted Germain Katanga, a rebel leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for his part in a vicious attack on a village in eastern Congo where civilians were massacred.

“The verdict will provide victims with a measure of some justice and we hope that this will spur the DRC to tackle other cases that have so far escaped justice,” said Stephanie Barbour, Head of Office, Amnesty International’s Centre for International Justice.

Katanga was convicted of murder as a crime against humanity, murder as a war crime, deliberately directing an attack on a civilian population, destruction of property as a war crime and pillage as a war crime.

However, he was also acquitted of five counts of rape and sexual slavery as a crime against humanity and a war crime and the use of children under the age of 15 taking direct part in hostilities as a war crime.

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